Ronaldo, Messi and Suarez lead the FIFA Best Player of 2016 shortlist

FIFA will no longer hand out the Ballon d'Or, so they're going to give out their own award for the best player in the world and they've narrowed it down to 23. Who will take home the honor?

Sergio Aguero

As always, the question is whether Aguero is fit because when he is, he's deadly. He was fit for much of 2016, which is why he poured in goals for Manchester City. But his lackluster showings for Argentina won't help his case.

This content is subject to copyright.AFP/Getty Images

Gareth Bale

Bale may always play second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo, but he won the Champions League again last season and took Wales to the Euro semifinals. Yes, he lost to Ronaldo there, but Ronaldo was working with a lot more talent on Portugal than Bale was with Wales.

Gianluigi Buffon

The 38-year-old was supposed to have fallen off by now. And yeah, he has a bit, but he's still pretty great. Racking up another Serie A title with Juventus is nice too.

Getty ImagesGetty Images

Kevin De Bruyne

Aguero may be City's best player, but De Bruyne looks like the Citizens' most important. He's not going to win the award, or even really be in the mix, this year, but he could in the years to come.

AMA Sports Photo AgencyGetty Images

Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann has long been a good player, but he made the leap to great this year. He racked up goals to help Atletico Madrid to the Champions League final, but he was even more impressive at the Euros. He won the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament, with six goals and two assists in seven matches to establish himself as one of the best players in the world.

Getty ImagesGetty Images

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Is he going to win this award? No chance. But he's Zlatan, so he's here.

This content is subject to copyright.AFP/Getty Images

Andres Iniesta

He's now 32 years old and his hair is nearly gone, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a better passer than Iniesta. Even now.

This content is subject to copyright.AFP/Getty Images

N'Golo Kante

Leicester's amazing run to the Premier League title was due in large part to Kante. He was the league's best midfielder and he's proving himself to be great for Chelsea this season. In between, he only helped France to the Euro final.

Jean CatuffeGetty Images

Toni Kroos

Kroos didn't really settle in at Real Madrid in his first season, but he did last season and helped them take hom the Champions League. Now, he's arguably in the best form of his life, as he proved in making the Team of the Tournament at the Euros.

Boris StreubelGetty Images

Robert Lewandowski

Last season, Lewandowski became the first player since 1977 to score 30 goals in the Bundesliga and this season he already has seven goals. If you're talking best strikers in the world, Lewandowski is in the conversation.

Getty ImagesGetty Images for FC Bayern

Riyad Mahrez

Along with Kante and Jamie Vardy, Mahrez led Leciester to the Premier League title. He was arguably their best player, taking home PFA Player of the Year in the process.

AMA Sports Photo AgencyGetty Images

Lionel Messi

Messi won this award last year -- the fifth time he's done so -- and had another terrific year this time around. He helped Barcelona take home the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, not to mention leading Argentina to the Copa America Centenario final. Messi is always in the mix for this award, but he's probably not the favorite this year.

AMA Sports Photo AgencyGetty Images

Luka Modric

The Real Madrid midfield is flawed, but Modric is the metronome who dictates pace and space, allowing the Merengues to thrive dispite their issues. He has that Champions League title to prove it too.

Real MadridReal Madrid via Getty Images

Manuel Neuer

He's the best goalkeeper in the world and if you argue otherwise, you're wrong.

Getty ImagesBongarts/Getty Images

Neymar

More goals, more assists and he took home Olympic gold on home soil. Not a bad year.

This content is subject to copyright.AFP/Getty Images

Mesut Ozil

Ozil has never been better than he is right now. It doesn't make him the best player in the world, but he's really, really good. We'll see about next year, if he can lead Arsenal to that elusive Premier League title.

The Arsenal Football Club PlcArsenal FC via Getty Images

Dimitri Payet

PFA Team of the Year: Check.

Euro 2016 Team of the Tournament: Check.

Scorer of some of the best goals in the world all year long: Check.

Not bad.

Paul Pogba

2016 was supposed to be the Year of Pogba. It wasn't. He didn't win the Champions League or the Euros and was criticized for not being a dominant player in every match. He was merely really, really good and earned a world record €105 million transfer.

This content is subject to copyright.AFP/Getty Images

Sergio Ramos

Real Madrid's biggest flaw is their defense, but Ramos keeps it together, or at least together enough to be champions of Europe.

Cristiano Ronaldo

He won the Champions League.

He won the Euros.

That alone is good enough for most stars to take home this award. But because he's Ronaldo, he also added a ton of goals, took home Euro Silver Boot, equalled the record for most all-time goals in the Euros and, well, was Ronaldo.

There is one favorite for this award. A very, very heavy favorite. And it's Ronaldo.

Juan Manuel Serrano ArceGetty Images

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis became just the second player in Chile history to earn his 100th cap this summer at Copa America Centenario. You know, the tournament where he led his country to a title and won the Golden Ball.

Luis Suarez

Suarez was the best player in the world for the 2015/16 club season. He topped Ronaldo and Messi as La Liga's leading scorer and almost single-handedly pulled Barcelona out of their late-season slump to hold onto the title. But this award is for club and country over all of 2016 and Suarez's injury during Copa America Centenario won't help.

Jean CatuffeGetty Images

Jamie Vardy

Vardy was the Premier League's second leading scorer last season and took home Premier League Player of the Season as Leicester won the league. He also scored four goals for England on the year, including one at the Euros. That he, a player who was generally a nobody until just a couple years ago, is even on this list is astounding.